A Hard Day's Work
by Ink Runs Through My Veins
Summary: There were a lot of things Elisa Maza was certain of: Vanilla ice cream tasted the best when drizzled with caramel, peanuts, and fudge. If she had to hear from one more person how gargoyles were evil, she was going to do something that would wind up with her in prison. Goliath was ridiculously good at back massages.


So I recently rediscovered one of my favorite childhood cartoons and am currently in the process of rewatching the whole thing.

I forgot just how harsh Gargoyles actually was. Death, blood, guns; all that jazz. It was surprisingly dark for a 90's cartoon. That's probably why I liked it so much.

I just wish there were more Fanfiction stories about this cartoon so that I could read them.

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

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There were a lot of things Elisa Maza was certain of.

Vanilla ice cream tasted the best when drizzled with caramel, peanuts, and fudge.

That new rock band on the radio was going to melt her ears with all that screaming.

If she had to hear from one more person how gargoyles were evil, she was going to do something that would wind up with her in prison.

Goliath was ridiculously good at back massages.

And finding out about his hidden talent? Very fun.

The sun had set and the Autumn wind chilled the air as ferocious roars sounded above the city of New York. The Manhattan clan had awoken.

Elisa, dressed per usual in a red coat and jeans, never got tired of watching her new family awaken before her eyes. It was almost scary how fantasy had mixed with reality and had become the new normal to her.

She watched Goliath mainly. His broad back muscles flexed, his wings spread, and he roared like the mighty warrior she knew him to be. He flexed his arms (which made her swallow a little) and turned to her with a wicked smile. "Elisa."

Elisa couldn't help but smile back (albiet with a much less teeth). "Goliath. Good evening."

The leader of the Manhattan clan leapt from his perch to surround his lady with his wings. "It is good to have you here." Elisa tried to not flinch. The warmth from his broad, lavender chest was comfortable. However, the weight of his wings were killer on her sensitive back. Unfortunately, Goliath doesn't really miss much. "Elisa? Are you alright?"

Detective Maza sighed, knowing the jig was up. "I'm just a bit sore."

"From what?"

"I was doing a routine patrol this afternoon since Matt's out sick. I saw some thug hustling a girl into a dark alley. I didn't realize he had a partner until the other guy tried to swing an iron pipe at me. I'm fine!" She quickly reassured the glowing-eyed gargoyle. "But he had terrible aim and got my back, so I just got the wind knocked out of me. Luckily I had my gun and was able to put a couple of holes in their legs while they thought I was down." She snuggled closer to him. "I'm fine, I promise."

Goliath didn't know what to do but hold her tighter. He loved that his beloved was a protector, like himself. She understood his morals and his sense of duty to the clan and humans that even Demona never could comprehend. She was brave and strong and loyal to her people, like him.

On the other claw, she was also prone to recklessness; especially if she thought someone might be in trouble. It was one of the reasons he wished she would go back on the night shift just to make sure he could keep an eye on her. Her partner was usually by her side; clearly she needed him back.

Of course, saying those thoughts aloud would earn him a lecture on independence and Elisa ignoring him for a good twelve hours. While he did want to try to get some sense into her, that could wait another night while his beloved was not in so much pain.

"How badly does it hurt?"

"I can't go back to work for a few days until a doctor says it's okay. There aren't any breaks, but I can't really sleep comfortably without pain meds and you know how much I hate those." It was true. She had told him a number of times how much the medicine doctors gave her tended to leave her lethargic and drowsy. As a cop, she was uncomfortable with her senses being dulled and so tended to skip pain medication whenever she could. "It's not as terrible as being shot, so I can handle it."

Such a stubborn woman, his Elisa.

Suddenly, he was struck with an idea.

He unwrapped his wings and motioned for her to follow him. "Come. I think perhaps I may have something that will help."

They made their way through the castle, with Elisa waving to the others who were distracted by the television/used to Elisa and Goliath's "private" conversations. Elisa and Goliath were private individuals, but there were just some things that were a little too obvious.

He led her to a spare room and had her lay on the bed on her stomach. Elisa laughed. "I don't think I'm in the best shape to be physical right now, Big Guy." Their lovemaking, while passionate, was often rough and left marks on her skin. It was actually getting kind of hard to explain the marks to those who didn't know she associated herself with gargoyles. Mostly, she blamed them on Cagney.

Goliath merely laughed and started to look for something in the nightstand. "Later, when you can handle it. Right now we must focus on healing you."

Now Elisa was curious. "What do you have in mind?"

Without answering Goliath pulled some lotion from the nightstand. "Take off your shirt and undergarment."

She was starting to get it. "You know how to give someone a massage?"

"Yes." Goliath perched himself on the bed and poured some onto his claw. "Our wings aren't truly used until we learn to fight. We get very sore after training, so our teachers showed us how to relax our muscles after battle training. I understand that our physiologies are different. If nothing else, I hope this will at least soothe the ache."

Elisa shrugged. "I never say no to a free back rub." Slowly and carefully, she removed her jacket and top. She ignored Goliath's angry hiss at her bruise while she took off her bra.

The bruising was an ugly dark purple going in a straight line horizontal to her back. The edges were yellow and green, but the most deep bruising was almost black. A vague foot marking on her lower left back indicated that someone had stepped on her, _**purposefully**_. It was no wonder Goliath felt the need to track down these men and give them the same treatment. "Are these...men in custody?"

Elisa plopped back onto the bed. "Yep. They'll get some serious time for assault and battery and attempted assault onto a minor. Not to mention the fact that they'll be limping all the way to jail." She winked. "Don't worry Big Guy. Those scumbags aren't coming near me any time soon."

The gargoyle 'humphed'. "I should hope not, for they will lose all of their limbs if they even try."

Elisa laughed. She loved a lot of things about Goliath, but his ability to make her laugh over violence was one of them.

Slowly and confidently, Goliath smeared the lotion onto Elisa's back. The detective shivered at the cold lotion for a moment before Goliath's large claws began rubbing soothing circles onto her sensitive back. Her tense muscles melted like butter before the gargoyle's massage.

After a few minutes Elisa sighed. "I may need to travel back in time to thank those teachers of yours."

Goliath smiled. "I take it my helping you relax is working?"

"Oh yeah." She moaned softly as he hit a sensitive spot. "This is just what I needed. Screw those pills; I'm coming here every night so I can get a Goliath specialty massage."

Goliath chuckled. "I'm just relieved that I can do something to help ease your pain."

Elisa moaned again. "Trust me, this is definitely helping." And it was. She hadn't felt this truly relaxed since before she became a cop.

An hour goes by before Goliath feels he has done enough. After all, too much of a good thing usually turns into a bad thing. "How do you feel?"

The human woman cautiously moved her shoulders. "Much better than a few hours ago. I even feel like chancing a nap."

Goliath frowned. "You have not been sleeping?"

Elisa tried to stretch her arms without wincing. She didn't succeed. "I told you earlier, right? Without the pills, I can't get any decent sleep."

The gargoyle shook his head. She was trying to drive him into an early grave, this one. "Then you must rest." Ignoring her small protests he firmly set his human back onto the bed and drew the covers over her chest. "Hudson can manage the clan for tonight. I will stay with you as long as it takes for you to get some decent sleep."

"But I-"

"Elisa." His tone was firm enough to make her stop talking. "I love you. And it truly pains me that I was not there for you today."

Goliath's words aroused the guilt in her chest. "You know that wasn't your fault."

"I do know. However seeing you in pain does nothing to sway my guilt. Even if I can not help that I need to rest during the day, it worries me greatly that I can no longer be by your side while you go out on duty. Your existence is very important. Not only to myself, but to our clan. They cherish you, more than you realize." With as much care as he could, Goliath cradled Elisa's face with his hands. "I must beg of you to be more cautious. Please, my Elisa, be more careful when you are on duty."

Sure, she could have argued. After all, Elisa was an independent woman who had collared more crooks than half her superiors. She had her own apartment and, until she met Goliath, had worked alone just fine for a long time.

But there was no way she could ignore the genuine concern in his eyes. Goliath cared for her in a way few ever had. And she knew, should the situation ever be reversed, she would be just as worried. He was right; the clan, when they heard about the incident and the extent of her wounds, would be ready to tear the criminals to pieces. And then mother her until she recovered.

They were a family after all; and families worried for each other.

So, with a sigh of defeat, Elisa surrendered her face to his hands with a smile. "My day adventures only last until the regular day-shift detectives come back from vacation next month. After that, you can hover above me all you want."

Goliath chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I look forward to it, beloved. Now, rest."

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